Silly commuting racing

gtvlusso

rant
To the dude that overtook me downhill last night on his geared roadie - you need to grow a pair and get up those hills faster!
I own you, I own your bike, I own your children!
And to the geared roadie this morning who took me on another downhill - riding on the pavement when the traffic gets a bit gridlocked is not acceptable - MTFU and don't be so scared of round-a-bouts.....
/rant

Roastie

MonkeyMonster wrote:

amnezia wrote:

pb avg of 20.8 for the journey in :shock:

how the hell do you manage a 21 mph average with london traffic and red lights?

By being fast. I accelerate hard and brake late plus judge light changes quite well. Oh forgot the two roadies on the drag strip of constitution hill who were dawdling... More fool them.

Eish! That is a fast average. Even if I stick it up around 25 on every open stretch, my average rarely gets above the mid teens.

ps. Auto pause/stop, or continual running timer?

Roastie

Nice ride this morning, btw. I left late so had more players on my route. A nice spat with a red Cannondale Capo pilot along Nine Elms shook me out of my sleepy stupor.

Oh yes, and I really need a front mudguard. Not much else to report.

biondino

Roastie wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

amnezia wrote:

pb avg of 20.8 for the journey in :shock:

how the hell do you manage a 21 mph average with london traffic and red lights?

By being fast. I accelerate hard and brake late plus judge light changes quite well. Oh forgot the two roadies on the drag strip of constitution hill who were dawdling... More fool them.

Eish! That is a fast average. Even if I stick it up around 25 on every open stretch, my average rarely gets above the mid teens.

ps. Auto pause/stop, or continual running timer?

Or brazen fib?

MonkeyMonster

Oi Bio... careful with those lips.

27.37 minutes to travel 9.5 miles with a top of 26.4

The only issue being after I'd double checked my route was how I went a mile more than normal - still haven't worked that one out.

Its on auto stop start as always. Did have reasonable lights and a good draft along the 2nd half of racetrack.

BentMikey

Fastest ride in to work so far this year was a few months ago. Top speed of 44.8mph, average of 21.19mph.

Rich158

A good ride home last night. I picked up a fellow roadie, who I thought was my nemesis from last week in Blackfen, only for him to turn off early before I had a chance to humiliate him.

Still, a little further on sat at some lights I was aware of two idiots filtering on the right (honetsly it's a narrow road guys, stay n the left it's safer), taking up position in the centre of the road and edging through a red light, ready to put the hammer down when it goes green. Both on very nice white road bikes, although I didn't catch the make and model.

Right thinks I, I'll have you two, and took then on the hill just before Bexley village. They were spinning like anything and I just powered past on the fixie On the run down to Bexley Village I was aware of the sound of a freehub behind me :shock: that's odd I thought, i didn't know I had a freehub. Then the penny dropped, the cheeky sods had jumped on my wheel. I now hoped they were going in my direction as there is a longish drag out of Bexley Village towards Dartford, and oh joy, they were. Putting the hammer down up the hill at least one of them stayed with me for a bit, untill I heard him say, have a good one mate, your crucifying us on the hills 8) i would have responded but by this time was seriously into the red zone, still it did give me the incentive to put on a little sprint and really drop them completely

Oh yes, I'm truly back in the game

MonkeyMonster

Rich158 wrote:

Oh yes, I'm truly back in the game

Good stuff!

Roastie

BentMikey wrote:

Fastest ride in to work so far this year was a few months ago. Top speed of 44.8mph, average of 21.19mph.

Gotta get me a 'bent!

BentMikey

Rich158 wrote:

Still, a little further on sat at some lights I was aware of two idiots filtering on the right (honetsly it's a narrow road guys, stay n the left it's safer),

Got a link to this junction on google maps? I'm usually rather wary when someone suggests undertaking instead of overtaking is safer.

BentMikey

Roastie wrote:

BentMikey wrote:

Fastest ride in to work so far this year was a few months ago. Top speed of 44.8mph, average of 21.19mph.

Gotta get me a 'bent!

LOL! The ride home, with much more climbing, was considerably slower, if mostly because I was completely worn out.

MonkeyMonster

Roastie wrote:

Oh yes, and I really need a front mudguard. Not much else to report.

Crud catcher on down tube didn't really help much this morning. I was left rather spattered

Retch

Roastie wrote:

Oh yes, and I really need a front mudguard. Not much else to report.

Crud RoadRacers are doing a job. Simple to fit, and pretty effective this morning.

Scalped (well...) a guy on a Pinarello who was either in some difficulty mechanically or riding in a very odd manner down the Embankment today. And who seemed to be wearing trackie bottoms. On a Pinarello. Uh...

Clever Pun

Felt tired this morning yet seemed to put in a great time... thanks 1/2 term

I saw my main target (shaved Phoenix CC rider) today and I was on geared too ..yes now's my chance. He comes from the east of lewisham and he comes across me at the roundabout and I'm behind him his bike looks shockingly like mine red black and red/black vittoria pros tyres... he's pinged me and he's off like a whippet I stay with him and he's being nice giving me signals and the like even though I'm not close enough to draft. I draw level at the lights and say hi and complement his choice of colour scheme I take the lead for the next 2 miles at the next traffic lights he compliments my tattoos.. how very civilised. We both dart through traffic and leave 3 ss/fixed and another roadie all wishing they brought their balls with them today.

Finally as I think my lungs might give he passes me and just makes it through before people start getting in the way at a zebra crossing.. I manage to catch up near the lights up at jamaica way but I've not got the legs to do him today... feck. Saying that if I keep riding with him I'll be getting faster that's for sure and good fun nonetheless

will3

Clever Pun wrote:

I draw level at the lights and say hi and complement his choice of colour scheme I take the lead for the next 2 miles at the next traffic lights he compliments my tattoos..

Did you get his number?

Greg T

will3 wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

I draw level at the lights and say hi and complement his choice of colour scheme I take the lead for the next 2 miles at the next traffic lights he compliments my tattoos..

Did you get his number?

Arf arf arf.......

Bromance.

Clever Pun

will3 wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

I draw level at the lights and say hi and complement his choice of colour scheme I take the lead for the next 2 miles at the next traffic lights he compliments my tattoos..

Did you get his number?

He's only human, I've come to expect that...

cjcp

BentMikey wrote:

Roastie wrote:

BentMikey wrote:

Fastest ride in to work so far this year was a few months ago. Top speed of 44.8mph, average of 21.19mph.

Gotta get me a 'bent!

LOL! The ride home, with much more climbing, was considerably slower, if mostly because I was completely worn out.

Do you have a rush of blood to the head when you go up steep hills?

:P (Sorry, very naff.)

Roastie

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Roastie wrote:

Oh yes, and I really need a front mudguard. Not much else to report.

Crud catcher on down tube didn't really help much this morning. I was left rather spattered

Yeah! (Not that I have on on TP but) I've found Crud Catchers are great for crud, useless for spray.

Clever Pun

cjcp wrote:

Do you have a rush of blood to the head when you go up steep hills?

:P (Sorry, very naff.)

That's actually something I'd never considered, riding a bent up a sod off hill would be shocking

MonkeyMonster

Hope the fella who got nobbled by that evil hole in the road turning right off the racetrack on to parliament sq is okay. Was low speed but no fucking need for asshole drivers to horn at him. Fuckin eejits.

Good fun otherwise - chapeau to the big spec fixie. But the trek wanker who came speeding off the pavement to try and draft him - twat.

More than a few fresh kills. But some members of the numpty brigade were out in force too. Just cos you're dolled up in hi-viz doesn't mean you can weave about slowly (and dangerously) or not even signal before turning... Come on people.

Roastie

Slow slow slow. Felt spent with no fire in my belly.

Now a sore throat - will my immune system ever get sorted out!?! :x

cjcp

More drafting fairies tonight. One a repeat RLJer roadie, the other a chap on a hybrid in lycra with large, shaved legs. Towed the latter down Millbank, through DSC and out the other side, when he finally moved ahead after a prolonged look back and down from me. Didn't take a tow from him but, after the railway bridge lights, he was back on the wheel again. He latched on again down the slope from CB. I was in pursuit of the RLing roadie but had had enough of towing The Fairy without any form of acknowledgment, so waved him through. He headed straight for the rear wheel of the RLJing roadie :roll: , who was now only 10-15 yards ahead. They weren't puling away - <cough> wind resistance <cough>. :twisted:

Well, I was blessed if I was hanging round, so overtook them both, knowing The Fairy would hop on again. He did.

Towed him to AB lights and for most of the stretch to BB. Again, no acknowledgment. I did however get some form of response (I didn't hear it) when I said, "Thanks for the tow". A response at least. Wahey!

He turns off at Lots Road. However, RLJer then hops on my wheel after WBR, before RLJing at Putney Bridge. Ho hum.

MonkeyMonster

Wheeeeeee
Lots o'scalps - most of the roadies must have put the porridge in their socks for the amount of gaming on the racetrack this morning. I might have to make a hairy cape!

New shoes are seemingly going well. Haven't found the sweet spot to always clip in but I haven't had any foot cramp yet at all.

UndercoverElephant

I'm in bits! Coming off Portobello prom onto Seafield Road this morning I heard a swish as I wait for the traffic to allow me onto the main road. There he was, the kind of scalp I've never even seen before. A black Cervelo no less, and the rider is in matching top and shorts. The traffic gods are kind and give me just enough of a break to get across the road and after him.

He's seen me after him, and he steps on the gas, but I'm closing fast. We hit 30 mph past the cemetery, and we hold the speed through the lights. I've resorted to bunny-hopping potholes to keep the right line. I'm right on his rear wheel, and go for the overtake. "Good Morning!", I call as I go past, the stone cold monster that I am, trying to pretend that these speeds are normal for me.

I think I broke him with the cheeriness of my greeting, because when I turned off at the next lights he was a good 20 m back. Shame we couldn't have had a longer run, but it was very good fun.

cjcp

Now that I've stopped sweating profusely...

Was pootling down the LRR, notice a roadie in white and black a few yards behind me. I'm tired. He's caught up with me, so let him go, I say to myself. Up on to Putney Bridge, said roadie turns out to be JG. B*ugger, I can't let him go.

So, we continue to pootle onto Chelsea Embankment. After AB lights, we meet a hybrid. A swift hybrid as it turns out (and, as it turned out later, with questionable methods at traffic lights...). Reasonable pace along Chelsea Emabnkment and the hybrid is distanced a little. JG whizzes down DSC, and I can't match the acceleration, so he's 40 yards ahead pretty quickly. Hybrid Man isn't too far behind me initially, but drops off.

Regroup at VB lights, where we join a SSer on a Condor. Seen him loads of time before - a seasoned commuter, and pretty quick. He's at the front of the queue, so it's past the Morpeth before we are. We pursue him and we're catching. We're also catching a lone scooter. The Condor has already done it all ends up, and she's about to be scalped twice more. I'm doing 30, but have to start freewheeling because there's no clear way past Condor and the scooter. Condor pulls away, and a gap appears.

Out the other side of Parlt Square, the Hybrid is ahead. Er, how? However, there's now a Dynamo on a Cervelo. Down the straight to Horseguards. As JG is about to overtake him, he responds with a burst. Hehe. This has stirred the Cervelo into life and he's after Condor man too. The hybrider is going for it too and hops pavements at the lights. It's clearly On. (Dear reader: I'm at the back during all of this.)

But traffic slows things down. Condor man turns off while he's ahead of the Cervelo. But the Cervelo is heading for the tunnel. JG territory. We're about 40 yards behind going into the tunnel. "Go get him, son", I say to JG. And he's off. And past him. Very quickly. Cervelo tries to respond, but instantly sees it's not happenin', so doesn't put a burst in like before. Whilst I pass Cervelo (not, ahem, I should say, with the same panache), I don't even catch JG before he turns off :shock: . Cervelo ends up getting a tow up the hill at the end of LTR.

Was knackered when I got in.

MonkeyMonster

Nice! twas rather warm this morning for all the lack of clouds.

jonginge

Bumped into CJ on the LRR today. Almost didn't recognise him as he was on the cross bike rather than the red, sadly now defunct, commuter. Cue a chat and semi-pootle along the NKR and all the way to Vauxhall Bridge. We open the taps a bit past the morpeth and scalp a moped in a manouevre reminiscent of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5h-HTv9d4c

There was a bit of slow filtering up to HoP and round Parliament Sq and then it's go again. Just as we were getting up to speed we caught a Dynamo on a Cervelo. I was just about to give the JG wave but he kept staring straight ahead and accelerated to prevent being overtaken. Traffic was building ahead so I lifted and shook my head, which elicited a chuckle from CJ behind. Maintained a decent pace along embankment and then screamed past Cervelo man through blackfriars

Edit: nice report CJ, both perspectives covered

The Running Man

Then only company I had this morning were deer and bl**dy rabbits again - not a 2 wheeled machine of any description in sight and nothing to chase :roll:

However people have been remarkably nice this morning though. Got waved through a roundabout by a nice man in a white van and then called through a zebra crossing as I was belting down the hill into Box by an oldish chap smiling and shouting "Allez, Allez, Allez" as I went past.

What a lovely start to the day

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

prevent being overtaken. Traffic was building ahead so I lifted and shook my head, which elicited a chuckle from CJ behind.

You heard it then.